New Alfa Romeo Roadster Will Be Mazda MX-5 Based, Built In Japan

Earlier this morning, Mazda and Fiat announced that they are partnering to build a new Alfa Romeo roadster off of the forthcoming Mazda MX-5 platform. This could be very, very good news for fans of both brands.

According to Mazda, the two companies signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to further the development and production of two new roadsters, both based on the next-generation Mazda MX-5. The final paperwork is due to be signed in the second half of 2012, with the first cars rolling off the assembly line in 2015.

The MoU gives us a sneak peek of what the new Alfa roadster will offer, and we like what we see so far. Mazda said it calls for each carmaker to build “two differentiated, distinctly styled, iconic and brand-specific light weight roadsters featuring rear-wheel drive.” Check.

Though both cars are expected to be built in Mazda’s Hiroshima plant, the Alfa won’t just be a badge-engineered MX-5. “The Mazda and Alfa Romeo variants will each be powered by specific proprietary engines unique to each brand,” Mazda said.

If the two cars do retain their individual personalities, and if there’s a turbo Multiair under the hood of the Alfa, it sounds like this partnership has a chance of avoiding the fate shared by other cars that tried to merge the best of East and West — like the Honda/Rover Sterling disaster, or Alfa and Nissan’s miserable Arna hatchback.

Most importantly, it helps Alfa bring back a model integral to its brand identity that’s been missing since the last Spider crawled off the assembly line in 2010. Alfa’s roadsters may be icons — remember the Duetto Dustin Hoffman drove in The Graduate? — but today nobody builds an affordable rear-wheel drive roadster better than Mazda.

There’s no word on whether both cars will make it to the US, but it seems like there’s a chance it could happen. According to Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne, the agreement between the two companies “demonstrates our commitment to Alfa Romeo and the determination to grow it into a truly global brand.” Considering that the MX-5 platform will most likely be developed with US safety standards in mind, we can only hope that a new roadster will join the 4C at Alfa Romeo dealers across North America.